While nursing a cold this past week, I found myself drawn to cuddling up in bed and doing nothing more vigorous than hitting the television’s remote button. With my head pounding, I wasn’t up to reading, but I knew I could listen to a movie. Of course, the problem with that is when something dramatic happens in either music or dialogue, I couldn’t help but raise my head from the pillow and take a peek. The best thing about being sick this week was I spent a lot of time with James Cagney, Bette Davis, and a crooner or two.

I have an affection for the years of Big Bands, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and times when musicals were more prevalent on the big screen.

My husband purchased a complete set of vintage encyclopedias at a garage sale several years ago. True, everyone uses the Internet now for research, but I’ve found these encyclopedias relate more than information. They share the mindspeak of the times and are valuable to me as a writer in research and also as a curious person who wants to know how people thought in another era.

According to my pristine 1949 edition of The WORLD BOOK Encyclopedia:

“The word mystery comes from a Greek word meaning initiate. Only those sworn to silence were admitted to the mysteries. Revealing the secret meant death.” Aren’t we lucky that in modern times, no one is kept from knowing more about mysteries unless we choose to not know?

“The mystery play is an early form of religious drama, based on scenes or events from the Bible. Mystery plays were very popular during the Middle Ages. The clergy used them as a means of instruction, for few of the people could read.”

“The mystery story is a work of fiction in which supernatural forces are often involved in the plot. True mystery stories tell of ghosts, riddles, and happenings outside the natural unfolding of life. Only certain detective tales may be called mystery stories.”

“One of the greatest mystery stories of modern times is Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The author died before completing the book. Within ten years four possible solutions were published. Frank R. Stockton’s ‘The Lady or the Tiger,’ is a riddle mystery, which leaves the answer to the reader. Others of this type are Poe’s ‘The Gold Bug,’ Bulwer’s ‘A Strange Story,’ and Collins’ ‘The Woman in White.’”

“MYSTICISM is the teaching or belief that knowledge of God and of spiritual truth is gained through personal insight or intuition instead of through logic and reasoning. One who accepts mysticism is called a mystic.”

“MYSTIC SHRINE. See Masonry.”

Since both James Lincoln Warren and my husband are members of the Masons, I couldn’t resist adding that last paragraph from the book. It did bring us back to the “only those sworn to silence were admitted to the mysteries” section of the first paragraph from the encyclopedia. Some things never change.

But hasn’t the idea of mysteries, especially mystery short stories changed over the years? Most likely, those writing encyclopedia entries were not also reading pulp fiction and keeping up with Nick Carter adventures. Although I adore Charles Dickens, I rarely would think of him when I am thinking of mystery writers, although the encyclopedia has a point in validating “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

If any of us were explaining mystery stories to someone who wasn’t sure, how would you define them? I wouldn’t have included supernatural forces or ghosts, but what do you suppose they meant by only certain detective tales may be called mystery stories?

It’s time for my medication now and I think I might find a “Yankee Doodle Dandy” DVD waiting for me on the shelf. Cagney singing and dancing. Oh yeah, I feel better already.

Posted in Femme Fatale on November 19th, 2009RSS 2.0 Both comments and pings are currently closed.

When I was in 3rd grade in the early 60s, my parents bought the 1964 edition of the World Book. I opened the volume for “M” at the back, covering the subject “Mythology” — and discovered one of the great loves of my life.

Very enjoyable–thank you. When I was but young I used to read the encyclopedias to while away the long, hot summers at my grand parents house in Georgia. Once I read and understood the difference between direct and alternating current, I felt confident to try and touch the electric cattle fence in between jolts (it was alternating current, you see). This did not end well for me, but I have been fine since then…really.

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